Tasting Report: Cuba’s 2010 Ediciуn Limitadas

The Cuban cigar industry releases a new batch of Edicion Limitada cigars every year, typically in the cooler autumn months, but this year Habanos S.A. shipped the limited-edition smokes early. The cigars began reaching international cigar shops in May, and by June Cigar Insider, the twice-monthly newsletter from the publishers of Cigar Aficionado, had begun rating all three.

Here’s a look at the cigars, along with details of each one. For the results of the blind taste test and to stay current on all cigars, Cuban and non-Cuban, see Cigar Insider.

Montecristo Grand Edmundo Edicion Limitada 2010

The Montecristo Grand Edmundo clocks in at 5 7/8 inches long with a meaty 52 ring gauge. It's the largest of this year's Edicion Limitadas. Cigars with these dimensions are known as caсonazos in Cuban cigar factories, a shape that Cuba first used on the Cohiba Siglo VI. This is the first time the Cubans have released a caсonazo without a Cohiba band. The Monte Grand Edmundos are thick and dark, with a medium to full body. They are packed in plain, wooden boxes with dovetail hinges (known as semi boite nature) containing 10 cigars. They retail for Ј20.44 per cigar in the United Kingdom, which amounts to about $31.

Partagas Serie D Especial Edicion Limitada 2010

Three-quarters of an inch longer than the iconic Serie D No. 4 robusto, the Partagas Serie D Especial is 5 1/2 inches long with a 50 ring gauge. The limited edition Partagas is known as a gordito in Cuban cigar factories. Like the Monte Edicion Limitada, it comes in semi boite nature boxes of 10 cigars. The Cubans describe it as full bodied, but our tasting panel found it to be medium bodied. They have a U.K. pricetag of Ј18.32, or about $28 per cigar.

Trinidad Short Robusto T Edicion Limitada 2010

The shortest member of the 2010 Edicion Limitada trio, the Trinidad Short Robusto T is only four inches long with a full 50 ring gauge, essentially a shorter version of the normal production Trinidad Robusto T. It is the sole pigtailed cigar in the 2010 Edicнon Limitada line. This short and squat size is known as a Short Del Valle. The packaging is identical to the other two Limitadas, except the Trinidads are packed a dozen to the box rather than 10. This is only the second time a Trinidad has been part of the Ediciуn Limitada lineup, which was created in 2000. The U.K. price is Ј18.10, or nearly $28 per cigar.